Mower unit



March 7, 1945. R. w. SPEISER 2,372,300

MOWER UNI T Original Filed Sept. s, 1946 41 v E WA/vE/v-r oe PH PE/SEE fie. 2 H63 5 ATTORNEYS factory servicing,

' ting relation upon It is an object of the'invention to provide an -1 Patented Mar. 27, 1945 Ralph W. Speiser,

.to Tom Manufacturing sota, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn., assignor Corporation of Minne- Original application September 3, 1940, Serial No. 355,171. Divided and this application February 12, 1942. Serial No. 430,631

" 10 Claims. (o1. sir-249) This invention relates to lawn mowers and particularly to an improved mower unit of the rotary reel type. Such units include a rotary reel having a plurality of spirally disposed knives, the outer limits of which describe a cylindrical path. The knives are mounted on a, frame for cooperation with a stationary bedknife, thev latter being arranged on the frame parallel with the axis of rotationof the rotary reel and in a position to engage or nearly engage the rotary reel knives. For? satisfactory cutting operation, the bedknife mustv be maintained in accurate adjustment with respect to the rotary reel with which it cooperates, even though there are strains on the mower unit frame, or .uponthe reel r knives. For satisthereel Off/he unit must be capable, of ready removal for sharpening, and must: be capable .of reassembly in accurate cutthe frame.

improved mower unit of great strength and ruggedness, capable of withstanding shocks in service and capable of resisting warping and twisting stresses even though the unit may be entirely supported from one end or at the middle or from several points. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved mower unit which may be fabricated from readilyavailable sheet, tube and bar stock, with aminimum number of especially cast, forged or machined parts. It is another object of the invention to provide an improved rotary reel mower unit wherein the rotary reel is carried by hearing units, so arranged that the reel maybe readily removed from the mower unit for servicing and sharpening and without dismantling the bearings of the reel.

It is anotherobjeot of the invention to provide an improved rotary reel mower unit wherein the knife bar is of rugged and improved design capable of being fabricated at low cost from readily available stocks and. capable when mounted in the completed unit, of contributing, to the strength and rigidity of the unit and of maintaining accurate operation of the unit.

Other and further objects are those inherent in the structure herein fully illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is which Figure l, is an isometric view with some of the parts removed and others broken away showing one of the cutting units-of the assembly, and

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary views in section of the two bearing" units of the reel shaft.

illustrated by the drawing in ,Throughout the drawing and specification, the same numerals refer to corresponding parts.

The mowing unit consists of a frame composed of side plates, generally designated 10, which are connected together by two or more intermediate frame members I l, and by the bedknifebar, generally designated I5. The frame members H are preferably of steel tube welded to the side plates Hi and the side, plates are preferably of sheet steel out to shape by dies, shears, or by an acetylene cutting torch.

The knife bar I is preferably made of, steel .plate, grooved and bent along the groove so as to close the groove and form a, V-shaped bar. The knife bar l5 may, if desired, be an integral rolled steel bar of the shape shown, rather than the folded bar herein illustrated. At each of the ends of the knife bar l5, there is welded a gusset plate I 6, to which in turn there is welded. an outwardly extending plate H. Upon the unit side plates I0, there are welded outwardly extending brackets 29, which overlie plates I1 when the knife bar is assembled on the unit. The under side of eachbracket zn and the upper side of each plate i1 is milled with. a circular cutter, and a circular disc key 22 is inserted and the whole knife bar assembly l5 is held inplace by adjusting screws 25 which pass through brackets 20 and are threaded into plates H. The axis of pivoting of the knife bar 15 is the centerof disc keys 22. The keys 22, in addition servepositively to prevent endwise movement of the knife bar 15 with reference to each side plate and as a result, the knife bar serves not only as a support for the bedknife l8, but also as a. frame stiffening member. The mowing units are ac cordingly very rugged and little subject to weaving. I

The reel of the cutting unit, together with the bearings upon which the reel revolves, are detachable as anassembly from the cutting unit frame, this being illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Each end of the reel shaft 3! projects through a bearing housing 40. The housing has an apertured flange 4| through which cap screws 42 pass for fastening the housings to the unit frame. The housings 40 are bored'to receive ball bearingunits 45 and oil seals 48. The shaft 3] also carries slinger cups 49 which embrace each side of the housing. The slinger cups serve to exclude tough grassand wire from the oil seals them to wear longer and func- 48, thus enabling tion better.

The entire assembly of slinger cups 49, oil seals 48 and bearings 45 are held assembled in the housings 40 by means of nuts 50 at each end of and the exposed ends of the shaft 3| the bearing units.

Upon the inner side of each side plate, there is welded a pair of parallel bars l2 which form a slide to receive the roll supporting brackets l3, the latter in turn being held in place on the side plates by bolts and nuts 14. Each bracket I3 is provided with a vertical slot 2! so as to allow adequate vertical adjustment of the bracket l3 in the groove formed by the spaced bars l2. The brackets I 3 carry the usual ground engaging roll 23 of wood or metal, the roll being journaled in suitable sleeve or ball bearings in the brackets for easy turning of the roll.

At the forward end of each of the side plates 10, there is provided a guard, preferably a curved steel rod 24 attached by bolts 26 to the plates in. The rod 24 is preferably covered with a resilient pad such as a piece of rubber hose 21.

The mower unit is exceptionally rugged and resists impact stress due to stones or sticks coming'between the knives of reel 30 and stationary unit may be carried by a. mounting attached to one of the side plates ID or by a mounting attached to both side plates and the rear cross frame member II (for which the attachment parts 28, 29 and 32 are illustrated). Both modes of mounting are illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 355,171, filed September 3, 1940, now Patent Number 2,299,859. Or the mower unit may be carried by frame members attached centrally to cross frame members II. This mode of mounting (and the range of utility of the mower unit herein illustrated) are shown in detail in my copending application Serial No. 390,789 filed April 28, 1941, now Patent Number 2,329,952.

The rotation of the cutter reel 30 may be by belt or chain drive as illustrated in my copending applications aforementioned. For the chain drive, there is preferably included a slip clutch arrangement illustrated in Figure 3, having a driven collar 32 keyed to shaft 3| by a Woodruif or other suitable key 33. The collar has 2. cen tral flange 34 serving to seat and center the drive sprocket 35, the latter being held between friction washers 36 and 37. Washer 31 is held in place by a clutch disc 38, screw threaded upon shaft 3|. Clutch disc 38, the surface 39 of collar 32 and the faces of sprocket 35 are ground smooth and parallel. The tightness of the clutch arrangement (and hence the limiting torque it is capable of transmitting) may be adjusted with nicety by rotating disc 38 on the threaded end of shaft 3|, after which the adjustment is fixed by tightening nut 50. Ordinarily sprocket 35 drives the shaft 'ai without slipping but should the reel become jammed by striking a stone or iron, or the like, the sprocket will slip, thus sparing the driving mechanism and cutter unit from excessive strains. Holes 43 in the edge of disc 38 are provided for rotating the disc by means of a pin or special wrench.

This application is a division of my application September 3, 1940, now

Serial No. 355,171 filed Patent Number 2,299,859.

Many obvious variations may be made in the apparatus herein described and illustrated withspirit or scope of the inassembled condition resting in said notches.

2. A mower unit of the type set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said notches are mower having a reel shaft, and bearing assemblies on the ends of the reel shaft, each assembly inclu' ding a bearing housrespect to the bed ing having means thereon for attachment to one of the side plates, a bearing within the housing and means for restraining the bearing and housing from axial movement on the shaft, the front edges of the side plates being shaped to fit and hold the bearing housings in a position such that the rotary reel is in cooperative relation with knife, and removable attachment means for attaching the bearing housings to corresponding edges of the side plates for holding the bearing housings and, hence the rotary reel and bearing assembly in assembled relationshi on the edges of the side plates.

5. A rotary 'reel mower unit having a frame composed of side plates each having a bottom edge, top edge, back edge and a downwardly and backwardly slanting front edge, tubular cross frame members attached tothe side .plates for holding them in parallel spaced relationship, the front edge of each side plate being notched inwardly along its front edge to form a place to receive bearing assembly, said cross frame members being positioned to connect opposite top edges of the side plates, a bed knife mounted on a knife bar, said knife bar being attached to the bottom edges of the side plates tostiifen the frame, and a rotary reel-bearing assembly mounted on the frame, said assembly including a reel shaft having a reel thereon, a bearing in a housing mounted on each end of the shaft and. fastened against endwise movement, said housing being shaped to fit the notches of the side plates and provided with flanges for attachment to. said side plates and removable fastenings for holding the bearing housings and hencethe rotary reel in assembled relation on the side plates.

- frame assembly having a pair of spaced side 6. A rotary reel mower unit having a frame comprising a pair of similar stiff steel side plates, steel cross frame members of relatively large diameter extending across the unit from the upper part of one side plate to the upper part of the other side plate and welded thereto for solidly holding the side plates in parallel spaced relationship, a bed knife mounted on a knife bar, said knife bar extending across the unit below the cross frame members and from one side plate to the other, and attachedthereto for stiffening the unit frame, said side plates each being formed with a bearing receiving space opening inward from an edge of the side plate, and a rotary reel and bearing assembly comprising a reel shaft having a reel thereon, a bearing unit mounted in rotary relationship on each end of the shaft andaflixed thereon against substantial endwise displacement, each bearing unit including a housing shaped to fit the side plate bearing receiving space and having means thereon for attachment tothe side plate and a bear ing within the housing for journalling the reel shaft therein, said reel and bearing assembly being attached to the frame with each bearing housing fitted into the bearing receiving space of its side plate and fastened thereto.

'7 The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized in that the reel shaft extends through the bearing housing, and each bearing housing is fitted with grease and dust seals on each side thereof.

8. A rotary reel type mower unit comprising a i a knife bar at each plates each having a bearing housing receiving notch extending inward from the edge of the plate, and transverse cross-frame members joining the side plates with the notches of the side plates extending in the same direction, said side plates and cross-frame members being fixedly joined together to form said frame assembly, a reel and bearing assembly having a rotary reel including a reel-shaft of length sufflciently long to extend at the outer side of each side plate, bearing units for each end of the reel shaft, each unit including a housing having a bearing therein, said bearing units being mounted, one on each end of the reel shaft, with the ends of the reel shaft extending beyond the bearing units, means for retaining the bearing units from. axial movement on the reel shaft so as to form a reel and bearing assembly, flanged cups mounted on the reel shaft so as to rotate with the shaft, the cups being sufficiently large to'embrace the ends of bearing housing with the flange overlying the end of the housing to exclude foreign material therefrom, said reel and bearing assembly being mounted on the frame assembly with the bearing housings positioned in the notches of the side plates, and removable fastening means for holding the bearing housings in assembled condition resting in said notches.

9. A mowing unit having side plates, intermediate frame members extending from one side plate to the other for connecting them together, a knife bar at each of the ends of which there is attached a gusset plate to which in turn there is attached an outwardly extending plate, outwardly extending brackets attached to the side plates, said brackets being positioned so as to overlie the outwardly extending plates when the knife bar is assembled on the unit, the under side of 'each bracket and the upper side of each outwardly extending plate having a milled section, a circular disc key between each outwardly extending plate and bracket, the assembly being held in place by adjusting screw means connecting said outwardly extending plates and brackets, a rotary reel mounted on the side plates and a cooperating bedknife mounted on the knife bar. i

10. A mowing unit having side plates, intermediate frame members exten'ding from one side plate to the other for connecting them together, of the ends of which there is an outwardly extending plate, outwardly extending brackets attached to the side plates, said brackets being positioned so as to overlie the outwardly extending plates when the knife bar is assembled on the unit, the under side of each bracket and the upper side of each outwardly extending plate having a milled section, a circular disc key between each outwardly extending plate and bracket, the assembly being held in place by adjusting screw means connecting said outwardly extending plates and brackets, a rotary reel mounted on the side plates and a coopcrating bedknife mounted on the knife bar.

RALPH W. SPEISER. 

